Manchester United delivered a much-improved performance with victory against Brentford at the weekend, easing the pressure on Erik ten Hag until Thursday’s Turkish encounter.
The Reds have been far from the expected standard during the opening months of the Premier League campaign, leading to a daily narrative of his impending departure from the North West.
As we know – paper will never refuse ink, and the 20-time English champions guarantee a click or three.
But the former Ajax chief will be the first to acknowledge warranted criticism, even though the measures taken to blacken his ledger have been beyond reason.
That said, the Dutchman hit back at the ‘external noise’ during his midweek pre-match press conference, stating his critics were fabricating “lies and fairytales.”
“Let’s be patient throughout the season”
He opted to reinforce this message at the weekend’s Football Writers’ Association dinner, firing a second shot at his critics while fortifying a collective goal for progression at Old Trafford.
“We have not made a good start, and we know that,” Ten Hag told those in attendance. “We are not happy. But we are happy with the win, with the comeback, but it’s just one game, and if you want to win trophies, you need good performances, and you need a hard job throughout the season.
“But trophies, you will not [win] trophies in autumn or in winter. Not even in spring, you win trophies in April and May. It’s a journey, and we have a long way to go.
“We really believe we are going in the right direction, and I would say to all the writers, let’s be patient throughout the season because we will see how we end. We are quite convinced.”
Following his speech, the FA Cup-winning chief spoke with Sky Sports ahead of the midweek meeting with Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
With two draws from as many Europa League outings, United will be keen to add to the three points collected against the Bees while also delivering a damaging blow to a former manager.
“It’s a big game for both of us,” Ten Hag said. “I will enjoy facing him and playing against him. He was always at good teams, he is a winner and he’s won so many trophies. He’s an example for many managers.”
Sarı Kanaryalar will welcome the Reds for a 20:00 BST fixture on Thursday, October 24, with United enduring a 2-1 defeat on their last trip in 2016 with Mourinho in charge.
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